This invention relates generally to a tool (an article of manufacture) and method of use. The present invention particularly relates to tools used for efficient installation of pliable membranes (defined as all types of carpet, vinyl, floor coverings, wallpaper, wall coverings and the like, known now or known in the future) onto sub-floor (or wall or ceiling) systems (concrete, wood and all others) in structures (homes, offices and any other type of buildings, structure or surface) and onto any other type of planar or non-planar surface.
The pliable membrane building trade (carpet, vinyl and the like) has long been a result of customs and practices handed down from masters to apprentices through on-the-job training. These customs and practices employ four basic tools that have been in use for 50 or 60 years and these types of tools are commonly used for the installation of carpet and vinyl floor coverings in the building trades. With carpet, for example, the custom and practice in this trade is to use four separate tools to accomplish the installation; a kicker, knife, stay tool and tuck tool. This results in an inefficient method of installation requiring a two-person crew and four separate trips along one side of a sub-floor surface to complete the installation of just one side; one to kick and preliminary stay (attach to the carpet tack-strip), one to stay securely with the stay tool, one to cut the carpet and another to tuck the cut edge into the comer defined by the sub-floor and wall (with or without baseboard).
Attempts in the past have not solved this inefficient method of installation. U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,932 discloses a carpet trimming and finishing device that has no stay wheel, no anti-snag wheel, no pliable membrane curvature edge and no guide wheel. Pat. No. 3,382,579 discloses only a fold down handle for carpet trimmers.
This new and useful invention solves installation problems, reduces the labor required to one person and one trip down the edge of the carpet, versus two persons and four trips down the edge of the carpet. This invention allows one crewmember to kick, cut, stay and tuck the carpet in one smooth motion. This one, quick and efficient step accomplishes a superior installation in one-fourth of the amount of time required by traditional methods. These solutions include (in the preferred embodiment): 1) Stay wheels to stay the carpet before and after cutting. 2) Tuck wheel and tuck wheel guide to tuck the carpet before and after cutting. 3) Multi-purpose design that allows use for vinyl and other types of pliable membrane surfaces used for flooring and other uses.
It is an object of this invention to reduce the costs associated with the installation of pliable membranes such as carpet and vinyl flooring by saving time and labor during installation. It is another object of this invention to reduce the man-power needed for flooring installation crews.
The objects of this invention are achieved, in a preferred embodiment, which provides an implement comprising a rigid horizontal planer body-base of a suitable length, width and thickness with at least one rigid vertical planer prong on at least one end of the longitudinal axis to provide support for at least one stay wheel on at least one stay wheel axle on at least one end. Integral with the body-base is a rigid horizontal cut-and-tuck planer member, with at least one knife-blade as a cutting means and rigid vertical planer wall guide, off-set from and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body-base, disposed on which at least one guide wheel and tucking wheel are affixed. A curvature edge is disposed on the vertical planer prong to curve the pliable membrane to be cut. When a pliable membrane is laid flat on a sub-floor with excess membrane placed against the wall of a sub-floor system, the edge of the pliable membrane is inserted into the cutting slot and the tool is then moved laterally against the edge of the pliable membrane by the user""s hand grasping the handle and applying force in the longitudinal direction across the pliable membrane surface to be installed. In one smooth motion the invention stays, cuts and tucks once and then tucks and stays again in the same motion. Spacers are provided for use with thin or thick pliable membranes. In a preferred embodiment the invention can be used by either right or left-handed persons without modification. This tool is lightweight, compact and of simple construction that is easy to make and use while reducing the likelihood of injuries to the operator due to the protected cutting means employed.